What about life after school?

Have you started to think about what you would like to do when you finish school? What’s your fancy – new job or more study? Maybe both. You could be full of beans and raring to go. Or you could be chasing your tail. Either way, there are so many ways to get on with it. If you’ve had some speed bumps along the way because of your health condition, you might need some good solid advice before you sprint off.

I have no idea… yet

It may seem like everyone else is full steam ahead, but they’re probably faking it. Dig up some of your own ideas by thinking about:

your likes and dislikes

what you’re good at

things that are important to you.

Pull in the experts

Arrange a meeting with the Careers/Pathways Coordinator at your school. They know heaps of stuff about what you can do once you finish up at school so they’re a great place to start.

Go to University/TAFE Open Days – they are a great way to gather information, make links and ask questions about the course/s you are interested in.

Universities and TAFE providers offer support services to students with disabilities and chronic medical conditions. You can chat with their staff to help plan your future studies.

The Year 12 – what next? portal provides a quick way for you to access up-to-date information about the range of post-school options.

At myfuture you will find current career information, articles and links to thousands of resources to assist you on your career journey.

The Job Guide looks at a range of occupations, and their education and training pathways. It also has useful information about how to work out what occupations suit you best, based on your interests and abilities.

Access the inside word

Sometimes the most useful advice comes from someone your own age. Visit youthcentral for a range of information on issues like jobs, study, travel, money and events written by young people for young people.

Maybe we can help

Here at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), we’ve also got a great resource for making that move into the adult world. Transition@RCH has lots of great resources, including factsheets and real life stories to help prepare you for moving into adult health care and adult life.

Adolescents and young adults being treated at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have access to an Education and Vocations teacher. Visit ONTrac for more information.

Talk it up

Just keep talking, it really helps. Ask as many people as you can about the world of work and the choices they made to get where they are. Talk to your parents, Careers/Pathways Coordinator, other adults, your friends and your teachers.

There are always options

It might seem like there’s only one chance to make the right choice. But there are lots of ways to move into the future you want. Even though the path might look different to how you imagined it, there is always an alternative option!

The most important thing is to start thinking about it early, keep your dreams in sight and get the right advice for your situation.